Leap Castle

Leap Castle is a fort in Coolderry, County Offaly, Ireland, about 6 km north of the metropolis of Roscrea and 10 km south of Kinnitty at the R421. There are various bills as to while precisely the primary tower/keep changed into constructed; ranging anywhere from the 13th century to the past due 15th century, however maximum possibly round 1250 CE. It became constructed through the O'Bannon clan and was at the start called "Leim Uí Bhanain", or "Leap of the O'Bannons". The O'Bannons were the "secondary chieftains" of the territory and have been situation to the ruling O'Carroll clan.

There is evidence that it became built on the equal site as some other historic stone structure possibly ceremonial in nature, and that that location has been occupied constantly because at the least the Iron Age and probably due to the fact Neolithic times. The Annals of the Four Masters report that the Earl of Kildare, Gerald FitzGerald, attempted unsuccessfully to capture the fortress in 1513. Three years later, he attacked the fortress again and controlled to in part demolish it. However, through 1557 the O'Carrolls had regained ownership.